Shiancoe still dealing with hamstring injury

Earlier this month, Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe “tweaked” his hamstring. That “tweak” has caused him to miss both preseason games. And likely a third.

Coach Leslie Frazier told reporters on Wednesday that Shiancoe won’t be playing in the team’s preseason home opener against the Cowboys. “[H]e had a little bit of a setback yesterday and we just decided to hold him back a little bit and give him a chance to get a little better with his hamstring,” Frazier said. “You’d like to have all 11 guys in this particular game but it’s an injury and the smart thing for us to do is not press it and give him a chance to be ready for when the real games start and just have to deal with that.”

The injury opens the door for rookie second-rounder Kyle Rudolph to continue his development. He has caught four passes for 32 yards in the team’s two preseason games.